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Habitat fragmentation causes immediate and time-delayed biodiversity loss at different trophic levels.
- Source :
-
Ecology letters [Ecol Lett] 2010 May; Vol. 13 (5), pp. 597-605. Date of Electronic Publication: 2010 Mar 24. - Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- Intensification or abandonment of agricultural land use has led to a severe decline of semi-natural habitats across Europe. This can cause immediate loss of species but also time-delayed extinctions, known as the extinction debt. In a pan-European study of 147 fragmented grassland remnants, we found differences in the extinction debt of species from different trophic levels. Present-day species richness of long-lived vascular plant specialists was better explained by past than current landscape patterns, indicating an extinction debt. In contrast, short-lived butterfly specialists showed no evidence for an extinction debt at a time scale of c. 40 years. Our results indicate that management strategies maintaining the status quo of fragmented habitats are insufficient, as time-delayed extinctions and associated co-extinctions will lead to further biodiversity loss in the future.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1461-0248
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Ecology letters
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 20337698
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01457.x